Page 43 of Laws of Love
“If you plan to live under her roof when you turn eighteen, then, yes, she can,” Aiva countered, starting on another braid.
“No, she can’t. I’ll be an adult, and that bitch won’t be—”
Aiva picked up the comb beside her and popped Tara on the top of her head.
“Ow, Aiva, dang!” Tara exclaimed as she rubbed the spot.
“Watch your mouth. That is your mother, and I know you didn’t think I would sit here and let you disrespect her. Act like you have some sense.”
Aiva knew a majority of the reason Tara thought she could speak that way about Anna so freely was partially Anna’s doing. Her ground rules and boundaries for her children were lax at best, and if it hadn’t been for their paternal grandmother, and Aiva would hazard to say Cedella, one of Edison’s other women, Anna’s children would be far worse.
Anna was raised differently culturally, so it only made sense that she raised her children that way. Aiva knew the other woman loved her children dearly, but they ran all over her.
“What are the two of you fighting about?” Aiva asked after silence and three more braids.
“I found a pregnancy test in the bathroom. She said it wasn’t hers, but it isn’t mine, and we’re the only two it could be.”
Aiva paused in what she was doing for a split second at the news because it sounded like her sister admitted she was having sex, but Aiva let it go. However, if Anna said it wasn’t hers, and it wasn’t Tara’s, there was someone else’s it could be. She decided not to bring that up just yet.
“Why would her being pregnant start an argument?” she asked, but she was sure she knew the answer.
“I don’t want any more siblings. Not that I don’t want them from her; I don’t want them from Cedella or Kandice, either. I know that may sound selfish, but there are already enough of us. Why can’t he go get fixed?”
Aiva could echo that last sentiment. She thought he should have years ago, but what he did was his business. She wasn’t opposed to them having another sibling because she knew she had no say in what Edison and his women did. She had long ago gotten used to having to tell people someone was her sibling and not her child when they saw her out with any of the younger four.
“It could belong to Riquie or, well, a girl Riquie slept with,” Aiva supplied.
Riquie was their twenty-year-old brother. He was currently going to college and lived on campus, but it would be easy enough for him to pop home whenever he felt like it. Aiva didn’t put it past him to use Anna’s house as some hookup spot during the day when the house was empty with the kids at school and her at work.
“I haven’t seen Riquie at the house in a while.”
Aiva refrained from pointing out that just because she hadn’t seen him, didn’t mean that he hadn’t been by. Her little brother was known for trying to stop by anywhere he had access to when he thought no one was there. Whether he was using the space to host get-togethers, he hadn’t asked to hold, have sex, or raid liquor cabinets. The former event was the reason Aiva made him give the key he had to their grandmother’s house back.
She finished the last braid of the mohawk, putting a rubber band around it before grabbing the spray bottle with a mixture of water and leave in conditioner. She sprayed the top of the mohawk, and it didn’t take long for the hair to curl. The sandy-brown tresses coiled beautifully.
“All done,” she announced as she gathered the items she used, and Tara stood to go look in the mirror.
Aiva carried the products back into her bathroom and put them away before washing her hands and going to the kitchen. She placed a bag of popcorn in the microwave, and Tara came in a few minutes later, thanking her for doing her hair. Aiva didn’t mind, especially since Tara wasn’t tender-headed like Kaley. She always dreaded doing the little girl’s hair when she stayed over.
She poured the popcorn into the bowl after it finished, and they sat on the couch, Tara looking for a movie for them to watch.
“So, tell me about this date you went on.”
“I see news travels fast.”
“Well, Marreigh told me, but I think it was more because it was with some athlete she likes and less about your date because then she just went on about his stats and tried to get me to watch his highlight reels with her.”
Aiva chuckled because that was Marreigh for you. She was sure her little sister enjoyed sports far more than any of their brothers did.
“We had dinner and got to know one another. It was fun.”
Tara settled on a movie, grabbing a handful of popcorn. “Are you going out with him again?”
“I am. Tomorrow, actually.”
“After the movie, can I help you choose an outfit?” Tara asked, hopeful, and Aiva didn’t see a problem with it. After all, he’d enjoyed the dress she wore last time. She’d see what she and Tara could find and what would play peek-a-boo with him this time.
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